Fallen Snow
by Guess3
Summary: PAUSED: for now Previously: Sadden Anniversary. Five years of wandering has ceased to diminish his painful memories, and now on the tragic anniversary the memories are more powerful then ever. Kenshin, however, is able to confine in an unexpected charac
1. And Winter Begins

Sadden Anniversary  
  
Chapter 1: And Winter Begins  
  
Winter's damn breath caused Kenshin to warp his gi around him even tighter. Another bitter breeze quickly proved Kenshin's efforts towards warmth completely hopeless. And as if to boast this victory winter sent yet another icy rush of wind over Kenshin, resulting in a shutter and darkened lips.  
  
Kenshin looked up at the cold sky. It was blue with a few scattered, puffy white clouds. " A storms coming," thought Kenshin. He could feel it, even smell it, but he couldn't prevent it. And he couldn't hide from it, as he couldn't hide from today. He could never escape this day, no matter how hard he tried or how hard he prayed.  
  
Kenshin sighed sending a small puff of steam dancing into the air. It's been 5 years now. "5 years," Kenshin slowly repeated to himself, sinking deeper into thought. 5 years since he tried to leave his gory past behind him and become a simple wanderer. Another cloud of breath was sent twirling in the air, evidence of another deep sigh. Life as a wanderer was hard. Lacking both money and food this wanderer only carried three things; one hung heavily at his side, another was safely tucked in the folds of his gi, and the heaviest of them all was trapped in his mind. As Kenshin continued to climb the seemingly endless hill, he could feel each part of his body whimper in pain; his feet were in agony, his stomach twisted and turned in hunger, his body and mind cried out desperately for sleep, and he was cold. But the most antagonizing pain was caused by the simple knowledge of today.  
  
Finally reaching the crown of the hill Kenshin saw that not all of his luck had diminished. In the distance, a distance that could possibly be covered before nightfall, laid a small decayed town. Now with a small goal and a little hope, Kenshin began his descent down the hill, his pace slightly quickened and lighter.. and then he saw it.  
  
A snowflake. A single delicate snowflake. It danced before Kenshin as it fluttered down to the frozen earth. Kenshin was placed in subtle awe by it beauty and complexity. He held out his hand to capture the fragile creature, but it melted before it had even reached his skin. Now, what laid there was a single drop of water, a tear in the palm of his hand.  
  
Kenshin stared at the small almost invisible drop. He remained absolutely still, as if he was afraid to move. Afraid that the slightest movement would cause a break in his internal struggle. He was trying to keep the memories at bay, but it was no use, he could feel them start to creep into his mind. Kenshin closed his hand around the melted snowflake and then slowly closed his eyes. The memories came flashing back liked summer lightening. Both the good memories and the bad came, but they were all so painful.  
  
After quit some time Kenshin willed open his hand and then his watery eyes. He glared at the traitorous water drop before letting his hand fall back down to his side. The tear slid down his palm and off the tip of the index finger, almost unnoticed, to the bare ground below.  
  
"I hate the snow," Kenshin whispered, heavily coated with hatred, and then started off to the small insignificant town once again.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin  
  
For my readers of The Coldness, I thank you for your reviews and I am sorry that this is not the joyful A/U that you have requested. But do not despair you're A/U will be up, as soon as imagination grants me with her presence. If you have any ideas, wishes, or fleeting daydreams you desire to be transformed into written form by me, please feel free to express them in the reviews or e-mail me (if e-mailing make the subject distinguish, otherwise I'll just end up deleting it). Specifically, thank you blueraingurl for your help with the review and anonymous thing.  
  
And Remember all opinions of my fics are welcomed; good, bad, horrible, or terrific. Honesty, though a bitch, will only help me to improve (well for this situation at least). I'll try to get chapter 2 up soon. 


	2. The Mirage

Fallen Snow  
  
The Mirage  
  
It smelled of old sex and fresh sweat. This stale air was a harsh contrast from the fresh, scentless smell of the snow falling outside. A contrast that created an irrational desire to freeze to death, then bask in the building's warm stench. The scenic landscape of the structure, only feed the suicidal desire. Outside white angels floated through the violet and coral skies of the setting sun, landing gracefully on the blanketed ground. Inside, in the brown light, blotched drunkers drank from cracked glass and through yellow teeth, while others groped willing and used women.  
  
No one really paid any attention to the wanderer as he entered; other things obviously had them distracted. After brushing aside a sweet, yet sad nuance, he made his way to a lonely table, separated from the activities of this particular business. Only once he had taken his place at the table, with the fetor burning his nose and the scene burning his eyes, did Kenshin realize that his untenable desire might become a painful reality, for his sleeves/pockets were empty.  
  
No one really paid any attention to the wanderer as he entered, Emerarudo noted. This was somewhat of a surprise, for the man's fiery hair, deep crossed cheek, and sword almost screamed out for attention.  
  
'Of course that's why people come here,' she thought.  
  
The people, wanderers from all around Japan, which arrived at this place came here to be lost in their own greed and needful world for just one night. One night where they could loss themselves and forget about what may lay on the road ahead of them and what had laid on the road behind them. In fact, here they could forget about the road all together.  
  
This place, this whole town, was just a mirage on a traveler's path. Not a mirage of clean fresh water, but of sin and darkness. A mirage that would be denied existence if not forgotten. And she was part of that sinful mirage. She would just be a wavery illusion in some traveler's memory. And all those who happened to come across this place, were also components of the mirage, the illusion, whether they knew it or not. And as for the man, with fiery hair, deep crossed cheek, and sword, he would also be part of that illusion. Non-existent just like the rest.  
  
This paricular man however caught Emerarudo's attention. He had a strange, deviant, and yet familiar presence around him. She was able to sense this strong presence the second he had crossed putrid threshold, drawing her intrigue immediately, but she couldn't quite place her finger on the familiarity of it.  
  
Emerarudo was surprised when the man had brushed Ginny aside without a second glance and made his way to a vacant table in the far corner. Most men normally couldn't yield their eyes away from Ginny's flawless form. Emerarudo merely simply smirked at the man's denial of Ginny. While very few men could refuse Ginny, no one ever refused her. She was considered an exotic beauty, the result of a disobedient Japanese man and a foreigner. Her skin was of an almond tan, her hair, though dark, was lighter then most Japanese women and it contained a uncommon wave to it, and her eyes. Her eyes were round and the color of emerald green. Confident of herself, Emerarudo slid off the prospective customer's lap, ready to meet the challenge that this wanderer offered. However, Emerarudo didn't realize or didn't want to accept that this unneeded challenge was just an attempt to get closer and learn more of this strange swordsman.  
  
A tiny white bottle was placed before Kenshin, next to it a small shallow cup and then another one identical to it. Kenshin looked up at the server with puzzlement.  
  
"From the woman, Emererarudo," the server lazily replied as he walked away.  
  
Before the receiver of the sake had time to search the room for the ever so kind, "Emerarudo". He was surprised, by the sudden added weight of a woman on his lap.  
  
Emerarudo enjoyed seeing the shocked look on that scarred face. 'He probably is not use to women buying drinks and jumping into unknown men's laps,' she smiled to herself. Women were generally more reserved; they were quiet and obedient. Not here though. Society's rules didn't exist for this town.  
  
'. for we don't exist,' she reminded herself.  
  
Shaking such thoughts from her mind, Emerarudo, wrapped her arms around the man's neck and leaned into his chest, to stare into his brilliant violet eyes.  
  
His eyes shined with exquisite beauty. Emerarudo had never seen such eyes before. And yet through the beauty she saw something else, something familiar. Something sad. "Even after all this time you can not forget her?" Emerarudo whispered, " .or stop loving her."  
  
Emerarudo's jaw quickly fell and she pushed away from the man's face. She was shocked by what she had said and by the sudden sadness that flooded his eyes and dominated his features. Emerarudo really did not mean to say what she did and couldn't explain its motivation of escape from her lips. She had just become so lost in her own memories within the wanderer's sad eyes. The painfulness and sorrow that they spoke was of the same that she felt.  
  
Oh how the memories hurt her so.  
  
Emerarudo silently detached herself from the man, prepared to retreat to solitude and nurse her self-inflicted wounds with self-pity.  
  
"Wait"  
  
It took Emerarudo a second to realize that it was the man she was trying to flee from that had spoken. She turned to find him holding out the sake, returning her hook for the catch. Yet Emerarudo couldn't reach out and take the drink from him, instead she looked upon his face and into his eyes once more.  
  
Kenshin was too bewilder to ask the woman what had provoked her to ask such a question.  
  
'How did she know'  
  
When she slid off his lap, Kenshin was able to see the table, and the sake that was placed before him. "Wait," he had called out. He wanted to give back the woman's self purposed gift and to ask her the origin of the question. However, when the emerald eyes met with his violet ones he could see the pain in them and the pain in his own as they were reflected back to him through hers. He found he was unable to speak, or too afraid too.  
  
After a few moments of silence and staring, she spoke, "Keep it," and then she turned her back and walked away. Was it his sorrow that gave her sympathy towards him or did she simply want to escape the depressed gaze that they shared? Emerarudo didn't know.  
  
Kenshin slowly drank his sake. It was bitter, however he enjoyed the feeling of the warm liquid sliding down his throat and filling his empty stomach. When the last of the drink had trickled down his throat, Kenshin found himself looking at the untouched cup, the cup that was meant for that woman, that concubine with hypnotizing green eyes.  
  
Kenshin's gaze traveled from the lone cup to around the room in search for the emerald eyed woman. In not finding her within the room, he assumed that she had made her way to one of the other smaller rooms with what could only be called a customer. This thought disturbed Kenshin immensely, though he couldn't explain why. He pushed away from his table and the cup, and left the building.  
  
Kenshin had escaped to the snow. At first he found the freeze soothing and refreshing, but all too soon he felt the thousands of needles of coldness prickling and numbing his skin. But the petite man refused to return to the building from which he had just freed himself from; instead he pushed himself forward through the curtains of falling snow.  
  
It was quiet, peaceful, serene, unreal. Kenshin was now far enough away from the concubines' inn that the noise had diminished, and with it it's memories. Not a single noise could be heard. Not a single person was in sight. Not a single light shown from any of the buildings that flanked the road on which Kenshin roamed. However the snow, reflecting the light of the moon and stars, created a majestic glow. Kenshin sighed at the tranquility of it all and then he smelt it. White Plums.  
  
Author's Notes  
  
First things first: Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin  
  
Second are my apologies. I had written after chapter one that chapter two would be up soon, and about a month later here it is. However, not that I am trying to make excuses, but I have been unnaturally busy and on vacation (on a cruise ship actually, where Internet access is 55cents a minute), followed by a period of laziness, where everything I wrote was too jejune. My second apology is that I am going on another vacation, for two weeks. And on this vacation I am to share a room, meaning my creative insomnia nights are going to be spent staring at a blank ceiling. But don't worry I originally had planned for this chapter and chapter 3 to be combined, hopefully meaning that chapter 3 will be up soon after I get back since some of it is already written. And for apology three, I wrote this with stubbornness. I was determined to get it posted before I leave, thus I wrote it quickly and didn't spend the time proof reading it.  
  
To my reviews:  
  
Thank you so much. I appreciate the honestly and for the simple "I love it" comments, I keep finding myself repeatedly reading over them. I was going to write you guys a little synapse of my story but I am thoroughly enjoying your guesses and/or conclusions you are drawing from it. I am at awe with some of your comments.  
  
Blueraingirl-You really impressed me. First of all you seeing my failure with the title. The title was another result of stubbornness. I was determine to post that chapter on a certain night, however I soon realized that I never came up with a title for my little story. "Sadden Anniversary" was a tired last minute decision that I, myself, despised, thus explaining the new title. You also were able to pick up on the melting snow. Not being able to touch or reach the snow is a theme I wanted to express throughout the entire piece, but I really didn't think anyone would pick up on it (possibly through my own fault of inadequate writing).  
  
Thank you again guys and sorry about the rushed job on this chapter.  
  
And remember honesty is what is desired from me, not just false praises (though I must say, I do enjoy it so). 


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